Within no time at all, most of the enemy are disarmed, incapacitated, and rounded up. The majority are alive, groaning as they wake groggy and angry. Roshan instructs his remaining kingsguard to take the assailants into the middle of the square, where I belatedly notice that a crowd has gathered—people who’d been in their beds and ventured out after the sounds of battle.
“You dare,” Roshan roars to the bound men, his voice ringing across the silence. “Attacking your king without provocation is a crime.”
I send a wink to Alderman Rubias. “How do you like my little light show now?”
“You are an abomination,” he says, but fear flashes in his eyes. “And you’re no king of ours,” he adds to Roshan, and spits to the side for good measure.
“Ouch, such cruelty, sir,” I say, putting a hand to my chest. “I’m a person, too, you know.”
Unamused, he glares at me.
“For the crime of treason and murder as well as intent to kill, I sentence you all to death,” Roshan says. Twisting in shock, I stare at him. That is not what I expected him to say. He turns, the usual gentleness in his eyes eclipsed by fury. “Execution by starfire.”
His words are a detonation as blood thunders between my ears. Every eye in the square falls upon me, and I hurry to his side. “Ro. They deserve a trial,” I whisper. “A chance to explain and atone for their crimes. You can’t just slaughter them in the middle of the square! There are children probably looking through their windows.”
Roshan bares his teeth, fire simmering in his stare. “They tried to kill you. Killme. This is war, and I will give no quarter.”
“The war isover. We should talk to them,” I say quietly. “Find out who they’re working for first. Someone ordered this. There’s a leader. This oracle. Aran heard it, too.”
His jaw tics, but then he turns to Hamid and Clem standing at attention behind him. “Secure the one with the braid,” he commands. Hamid hauls the man called Sandar away from the others. The king gestures imperiously to me, but my feet are frozen to the ground.Everythingis frozen. “Sura, now.”
The knot in my throat thickens. “I...”
Roshan’s mouth descends into a scowl. “They were going to kill your family. These mercenaries would have no mercy if things were reversed. They deserve death. This is treason, you know that.”
With a tremor of hesitation, my eyes rove blindly around thesquare, settling on Amma, my father, people I knew growing up. I don’t want them to see me as a monster, as some kind of horrific weapon of the king—but that is exactly what I will be if I do this. “Please, Roshan,” I beg. “We should take them back to Kaldari for interrogation. It’s the right thing to do.”
He pulls me close, but the act is not meant to comfort; it’s for privacy. His low words are emphatic, his grip on my arm just this side of firm. “No. It has to be now. Sura, I need your help to keep the peace, you know that. We need to send a clear message that any attacks against the crown will not be tolerated or the houses will run roughshod over us.”
“Then tell Hamid and your men to do it. I can’t murder innocents.”
A muscle clenches in his cheek, that fire in his eyes darkening. “They’renotinnocent. And the message has to come from the Starkeeper. The houses and the dissenters have to know that you stand behind the crown, that your magic is behind the Imperial House. Behindme.”
“Ro, you know I am, but...” My voice wavers. “Not in front of my family... please. I’m begging you. Don’t do this.”
Gods, his expression is so cold, sodisappointed, that I feel a small part of me wither. “You agreed to stay by my side, Suraya. That’s what this means. That you might have to do a small evil to fight for the greater good, to defend the throne we fought so hard for against my brother and the queen, against the Scavs.”
“I know,” I whisper.
Sighing audibly with a look of regret as though he understands my qualms, he presses his forehead to mine, voice softening.
“It’s what Laleh died for. These men are not good men. They came here to hunt us all down, held your father, aunt, and my cousin at the ends of their weapons, and murdered villagers and loyal guards who protected you with their lives. Don’t fail us now. We need to defend the people. They need you. Ineedyou.”
Defend the people...
Gulping past the boulder in my throat, I bury the small voice inside that wonders who defines the greater good when the history of wars is always recorded by the victors.
But maybe Roshan is right: they hurt us first and drew first blood, and I made him a promise to help him usher in an era of peace as the Starkeeper. Head down, I don’t look at anyone as I make my way to stand in front of the men, fighting the coils of horror snaking through me.
What should I do?I beg my simurgh, desperate for clarity.
Whatever is in your heart of hearts.
With a silent sob, I wonder if she’s channeling Vena.Not helpful.
She gives a soft chirp.As we are not seers, we can only make a decision with the information we have at the time.
“You’re doing the right thing,” Clem says when I walk past her.
